


ten thousand days in the fire is long enough

by brandywine421



Series: we might be hollow, but we're brave [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Defenders (Marvel TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-05
Updated: 2017-11-05
Packaged: 2018-12-24 06:51:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12007359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brandywine421/pseuds/brandywine421
Summary: "When's the next shipment? Devil doesn't kill but depending on your answer - I don't have the same moral issues with gutting you on principle," she said in clean Russian.The guy rambled off a flurry of addresses and pissed his pants when the Devil tightened his fists in the dim light.She repeated the Intel in English and the vigilante knocked the guy unconscious with a well-practiced elbow to the face."Who are you?" He asked when she turned back toward the sidewalk."Somebody that walks their dog three times a day and expects a clean street to do it. You got what you need?""Seems so.""Keep it down, my dog has anxiety issues," she called over her shoulder.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Loosely based in my Defender's 'verse. I wanted to write an outsider POV and ended up giving Natasha a dog and a backstory. Post Civil War angst on her end, and fluffy Defenders shenanigans as she tries to settle in.

 

  
_ten thousand days in the fire is long enough_  
_you're going home_

 

 

Fury ordered her to get a cat, something to keep her company and distract her until he found her a mission.

Clint advised her to _'come to Nebraska, play with corn'_ to distract her from misguided life decisions.

Wade invited her to be his ' _ride or die bae_ ' but she wasn't sure why he had her number in the first goddamn place.

Steve told her to find a place she felt safe and focus on keeping it that way so he could visit.

Natasha told them each to go fuck themselves. Fury for thinking she wanted another mission, Clint for thinking she gave a damn about corn, Wade for having her number and Steve for thinking she wanted him to visit.

She didn't want him to visit - she wanted him to *stay*.

Fuck all of them. She didn't need their advice.

She was on her own.

 

* * *

 

"How is it there?" Steve asked, breathless but alive enough to speak.

She wasn't used to being the one asked for reassurance in war zones. "Cold, you would hate it," she decided on even if the heat was stifling inside her dusty third floor apartment.

"I wouldn't hate it 'cause you'd be there. _Damn_."

She didn't wince at the curse, but at the explosion that followed. No shield meant no shelter.

"Don't be cute, it's not a good look on you," she said.

He laughed out another curse and hissed an apology. "I'm off my game today, no fake. Time zones are a bitch. Tell me more about your place."

"It's in the middle of nowhere, nothing but snow and trees covered in snow. I had to take a snowplow to even find the place," she lied. She looked out onto the street littered with double-parked taxis and bikes weaving through the incidental traffic jam.

She followed the trail of chaos to the corner where a blond kid without shoes seemed to be having some kind of 'quickening' where he got struck by lightning and seized the fuck out.

"I hope you have a warm fire," Steve said as she sorted through her outdoor box to find the correct sniper rifle.

This wasn't her fight, but she knew enough from Wanda and magic defense training that there was some bad mojo around. She had furniture coming in a couple of hours and needed this traffic problem resolved.

"No fireplace, just a hole in the ice for fresh fish," Natasha replied, scanning the streets until she spotted a old Asian lady flanked by ninjas on the sidewalk.

"I'm okay with sushi if that's your new life choice," Steve choked out through a parry of gunfire.

She wouldn't ask what the fuck he was doing because all of his answers would be the wrong ones. She centered her scope on the witch in charge and squeezed the trigger without flinching at the silenced kickback. The barefoot guy fell to the pavement in matching time with the witch.

"You hate sushi," she said, putting the tranquilizer rifle away in the 'clean soon' pile.

"But I'll suck it up because I want to see you."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't know if my igloo has room for two." Back at the window, she saw barefoot guy knocking out the last of the ninjas as the local cops trickled in.

"Okay. I'll call you tomorrow. Good luck with your sushi."

"Fuck you, Steve," she sighed, closing the window and sending up a blast of dust. She swiped to end the call and went to find her new phone to find a cleaner and buy some crystals to ward off evil witches. She figured she could handle ninjas if she had to.

 

* * *

 

He told her she didn't have to be a spy or a superhero anymore. He told her she could be a dancer or a professional chef. He told her she could be whatever she wanted now.

She wanted to _not_ be alone.

She didn't tell him that. She didn't buy a cat or start a garden.

She bought a plant for every window and empty frames that she expected to fill with paintings once she picked up her forwarded mail.

He would have great lighting for his painting jags if he ever came over.

She didn't want him to be alone, either; but she didn't have dibs on his future because he had too many other people on his tab right now.

She shook off her regrets and focused on her new home. She didn't want a cat.

 

* * *

 

"My dog doesn't appreciate your art, you should go back to black and white," she said, lining up the canvases of colorful landscapes with his familiar layered strokes. He was an amazing artist.

"Do you really have a dog?" he asked in a hushed whisper.

"Speak, Porky."

Her new sidekick, the portly Corgi barked obediently from his assigned post by the food bowl.

"Oh," he laughed but she could feel his exhaustion across the oceans.

"Steve. I don't want you to visit."

"I know. But I told you I want you to find a safe place and nowhere's safe if I'm there. Not now, not yet."

"You give yourself too much credit," she replied.

"What does Porky want me to paint for him?"

"Show him the stars, he can't see them well from here," she said.

"Anything you want."

She was done talking for today and ended the call without any more riddles. She should have kept her mouth shut.

"All right, Porky, let's take a walk and see where we can get a drink."

Porky wasn't enthusiastic so she let him off the hook for the moment and grabbed a jacket and headed out on her own.

 

* * *

 

She chose a bar in one of the gentrified areas that she knew Steve would hate and ordered the cheapest beer on tap, sizing up the hipsters and stray locals but not spotting tourists or lurking government agents.

Her night started to look up when the leggy blonde takes the seat beside her at the bar with an open hotspot on her phone.

She skimmed through her email and mentally tallies how much spending money she has from her fake job translating celebrity news articles. Come to Brazil, indeed.

"Get off your boyfriend and come to the bar, don't leave me hanging on girl's night," the blonde said. "Okay, if he's still 'not' a boyfriend then I get BFF dibs and you owe me drinks."

Maybe that was where she'd gone wrong choosing her new life - she hadn't called any of her girl-friends for advice. But the pickings were slim after that clusterfuck in Germany. Pepper and Maria were still on Stark's payroll and Wanda and Sharon considered her the enemy.

She need to find better female friends. Or friends in general, she wasn't picky.

"How's the beer tonight? It's not that warm cider shit again, is it?" Blondie asked as she waved her card to get the bartender's attention.

"I've had worse, so I figure it's worth the dollar-fifty I paid but not a cent more," Natasha replied. The woman took her in with a glance and knew that Natasha could order more expensive beer in these jeans. "I needed to get out of the house, not necessarily to get wasted."

"Yeah, this isn't the place for that. Last time I took shooters here, I went home with a banker and that never ends well. Trish."

"Talia," she introduced herself with a handshake. Nice jewelry. "I just moved into one of the remodeled buildings a few blocks over so I'm learning the area. Very glad I didn't bring my car, parking's insane."

"Yeah, it's definitely a test of mental health to own a car in New York these days. You'll probably want to take a cab home, though - the neighborhood's not the safest."

She raised an eyebrow but this woman didn't know her. She was genuinely looking out for her. "I know self-defense, I'm not scared."

Trish held her fist up for a bump. "Good girl. I take Krav Maga just for my own piece of mind but a whistle and a can of mace will get you just as far."

"Good to know," she replied. So she was living in a crime-riddled shithole where she needed mace, good welcome.

"Maybe, if you want, I can walk you home later," Trish said. "God, I'm so out of practice. You're not a banker, are you?"

No, Natasha was out of practice. "Not a banker, but not shopping for a lay, tonight anyway. I've got a long distance thing that I really don't want to talk about but really don't want to fuck up, either."

Trish bought her a real beer and accepted the raincheck gracefully.

 

* * *

 

She had a nice buzz going by the time Trish's 'BFF' turned up smelling like cheap whiskey and bitterness so she took her leave, retracing her steps toward home and Porky.

She was possibly being too hard on a guy that had never been an international fugitive before.

The sound of a beatdown distracted her from actually thinking of an apology and she caught sight of the infamously brutal Daredevil and a sniveling gangbanger babbling in Russian.

She took her sunglasses from her pocket and slipped them on even though it limited her vision in the dark. The devil had the bad guy under control so she didn't think she'd have to get her hands dirty but disguises were important.

"Seems a little ridiculous to interrogate a foreigner without learning the language first," she said. The devil's attention snapped to her making it obvious that he hadn't heard her approach. She nodded her chin at the thug he had pinned to the ground.

"When's the next shipment? Devil doesn't kill but depending on your answer - I don't have the same moral issues with gutting you on principle," she said in clean Russian.

The guy rambled off a flurry of addresses and pissed his pants when the Devil tightened his fists in the dim light.

She repeated the Intel in English and the vigilante knocked the guy unconscious with a well-practiced elbow to the face.

"Who are you?" He asked when she turned back toward the sidewalk.

"Somebody that walks their dog three times a day and expects a clean street to do it. You got what you need?"

"Seems so."

"Keep it down, my dog has anxiety issues," she called over her shoulder.

Porky was indeed pacing in front of the door when she got home and she rewarded his time on watch with treats and a cuddle on the couch.

When she took Porky out for his midnight walk and patrol, she's pleased that there are no cops or dead Russians around.

She felt better with Daredevil keeping the streets safe for Porky.

 

* * *

  
_"They dropped the charges, Nat, but if you don't sign then they'll arrest you if they catch you driving by an incident."_

She tapped her recently manicured nails on the counter as if it would make the toaster cook faster. She required immediate gratification when it came to toast.

"I burned my bridge with Stark and there's nobody else I feel like suiting up for," she replied.

_"He's really sorry about all of it, Natasha. Have you - "_

"Off limits, Pepper," she replied, not flinching when the perfectly browned toast popped up.

_"Come on, give me something here. We heard that Barnes is rehabilitating solo and Tony's carrying that emergency phone around like it's a bomb..."_

She didn't know that was common knowledge.

Had she missed a call? A text from Fury or an email from Clint?

She bit back her reaction and focused on buttering her bread before it cooled too much to melt.

"Tony can go to hell." She hoped Steve would tell him the same.

If Steve wasn't with Barnes, he should be *here*.

_"I'm not going to drop it. This mess - it's fixable..."_

"I've got to go, toast is higher priority than this conversation," Natasha said.

Maybe she should learn how to make eggs since she had done so well with toast.

She broke all her rules and dialed Steve's number off schedule. She preened a little that the voicemail hadn't been set up because he followed her instructions. She put the phone by the window when she heard a flurry of horns and squealing tires.

" **AGAIN**?" her neighbor's voice echoed through the hallway. She checked her fire escape with a passing glare at her napping guard dog.

Ninjas, _again_. She wondered if they were taking the blond guy's shoes and hanging them from power lines or something but it really was none of her business. He seemed to be holding his own despite the overturned van blocking off the street.

Mr. Barefoot had backup from a guy that had biceps to put Steve to shame and make all her friends to sign up for extra leg days.

Everything seemed fine until the swords came out and somebody popped off a hydrant. She just had her nails done.

She vaguely remembered Pepper's warning about incidents and signatures but she wasn't going to let random assholes block up her street. What if she was waiting for delivery or something?

She took a katana and her wallet to reward herself with coffee on her way home after whatever was downstairs before hopping down the fire escape to the sidewalk. She kicked a stray thug out of her alley and ducked out to join a nurse huddling near a bloody couple.

"Who flipped the van?' she asked the woman, leaning down to help her secure a bandage on the man.

"Ninjas got tricks," she muttered.

"If I clear you a path, do you think you can get the civilians out?" she asked and the nurse nodded, helping the man to his feet so they could support the unconscious woman.

"Thanks, Stranger. I didn't see you," the nurse called when Natasha successfully cleared out the ninjas blocking the exit by the demolished van.

That was promising even if it took the big guy and Mr. Barefoot ten more minutes to clean up and call the cops.

 

* * *

 

_"He doesn't want me there and you don't want me where you are."_

"I never said that," she sighed, wiggling her toes to encourage Porky to move his lazy ass off the couch. Three walks a day was too much for the Corgi and they were both deep in life reconsiderations.

_"I can't - I can't do the mind games right now. I'm out of gas. I bought a tent."_

"What? Why?" she asked, trying to match up his raw tone and the words without traps.

_"You said you don't have room for me to visit. So I bought a tent and I knit us matching scarves. I was going to make something for your dog but I'm not sure you really have one."_

"Steve," she stopped him.

_"I don't remember what it's like to not wake up without blood under my fingernails. I don't remember what it's like to want to wake up."_

That was wrong. "Shut up."

_"Okay, whatever. At least you're still talking to me."_

"Steve. You don't need a goddamn tent. Stand down and ask me," she hissed. Porky sat up, tilting his head at her curiously. She wiggled her toes.

_"I don't know what you want."_

"Fuck you."

_"Natasha."_

She sat up and tucked her feet underneath her knees. "We get to have lives, too. We earned that, Asshole."

_"Natalia, can I please see you?"_

She laughed dryly. "See me. Right."

_"I can't ask you for a place to stay until I see you."_

 

* * *

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

She spotted the curly haired ninja magnet when she was walking Porky the next morning. "You."

He glanced around as if there were other people around. "Me?"

"Look, you've got to do something about the pest problem around here," she said. Porkie sniffed at his feet and she was relieved to see him wearing sandals.

"I'm sorry, I'm sure you have the wrong person," the kid stammered. She's relieved for him when the nurse joined him.

"Has he got the ninja problem under control?" she asked her instead.  "Because I have a really close friend coming into town and he needs a low stress environment."

She tilted her head, thoughtful. "Hell's Kitchen's probably not the best place for that."

"Just keep it off my street, okay?"

"He'll do his best, come on, Danny," the nurse chuckled, leading him away.

She filed away the name and followed Porky down to the corner to check the replaced fire hydrant.

 

* * *

 

Wade still had her number and the only reason she hadn't put a hit out on him yet or hung up was that he had actual intel. If he would spit it out.

"I have things to do, Wilson, can you get to the point?"

_"Sure, bae, we'll save the sweet talk for later."_

"Don't call me 'bae'."

_"Sure, sure - that's why I'm calling - your bae, that is."_

She frowned. He wasn't supposed to know anything about Steve or alleged bae status.

_"I've been blowing up shit with your boy for a couple of months, since he went off on that one-eyed bastard in Madrid."_

"Wade."

_"Yeah, he's stone cold when he wants to be - only time he loosens up is when he calls a familiar number in his phone - why don't you make sweet phone calls to me, honeypie?"_

Steve's been hanging out with mercs?  With _Wade_?

_"Knew that would get your attention - but I'm just looking out for our mutual bro - he's got me on the list as first choice rebounder when you inevitably break his heart. He knows I'm always down for a cuddle."_

She hung up on him but didn't overreact. She would do that when Steve was here in person.

She misread the signals - Steve needed a safe place and she had been too busy taunting him to realize that he was off his game.

Porky sat by the window with her favorite plant and she walked over to check the street view. Steve would probably bring his motorcycle, something to tinker on and declare vengeance on the first person to steal it.

It was too soon for Steve to turn up but she immediately spotted Daredevil and Trish's drunk friend camped out on the far corner building.

This wasn't going to work at all.

She whistled sharply from her fire escape and earned Daredevil's attention if his drop off the building was anything to go by. The woman took her time disappearing from the roof.

She checked Porky's safety but he was distracted by the plant so she stepped outside. She regarded Daredevil coolly from his new perch of the opposite building. "Is this a routine patrol or are you helping out with the ninja problem that keeps fucking up my street?"

"Patrol. I wasn't aware there was a ninja problem," Daredevil replied gruffly. He tilted his head, listening to something. "Okay, I'm told the Iron Fist is handling that situation."

"You seriously let him call himself that? I'm so glad I'm out of the game," she muttered to herself. "Look, I don't hate it here and I'd like to stick around without any drama, so if you could help out the shoeless karate kid, it would be appreciated."

"He's not allowed to fuck around with ninjas!" a voice called from the alley below. Natasha glared down at Trish's friend before levelling her gaze at Daredevil.

He cleared his throat. "I'm sure Iron Fist - "

Natasha waved her hand with a scoff. "Never say those words together, inappropriate. So you're on Russian mobster duty while the other guy has magic and Yakuza detail?"

"Who are you?" Daredevil asked.

"Someone that always heard good things about Hell's Kitchen's safety before she moved here. Now I find fisting and ninjas and evil witches in the neighborhood that I vetted as a safe place," she snapped.

"Your long distance thing turning local? 'Cause Trish is going to be really disappointed," the woman called up.

No, this definitely wasn't going to work.

"Witches and magic don't count as ninja-related, what did you see?" Daredevil asked. "Were they after Danny?"

"Pretty sure the witch is sending the ninjas after the kid, or controlling them. None of my business unless it pings my radar," Natasha said. "And it's pinging my radar. You're the vet around here so you need to train your newbies or fix the problem."

Daredevil considered her with another curious tilt of his head. "Have we met, because you have a pretty high opinion of my work in the suit."

"No, we've never met and we never will."

"Because you're out of the game and so is your not-long-distance friend, right?" Daredevil asked.

Porky finally decided to bark at the intruder. Good dog. "Just fix it. You're upsetting my dog."

 

* * *

 

" _Natalia_. You should give your tech guy a raise because I can't find a bit of dirt to start digging on you. Luckily, DD and Trish both say you're harmless."

Porky judged the woman silently before wagging his tail in approval. "Fine," Natasha conceded to the dog and met the dark-haired woman's gaze. "Remind me of your name?"

"Jessica Jones," she replied, openly scanning her apartment through the half opened door.

She remembered a blurb in a file. "Oh. You're working with the Devil now? Better keep that under your hat, I doubt anyone's made that connection."

"What, you haven't heard of the 'Defenders' or whatever Trish is calling us this week on the radio?" Jessica asked.

She was really off her game because she * **hadn't** *. Why was Trish on the radio?

"I'm not a vampire but it's polite to invite guests inside."

Porky barked and trotted over to his bowl for a customer service reward.

"What do you want?" Natalia asked, nodding for her to come in. She'd made sure the place was spotless with lots of empty spaces for Steve to fill when he turned up.

"I'm not working with the Devil on his stupid nightly rounds, and I'm definitely not working with Danny or Luke on their 'justice for all' mission. But you seem to notice some things they haven't so I'm doing my PI duty and following up," Jessica said. "You know shit about ninjas and magic and Russians."

"I know a lot of shit. But I keep my nose out of other people's shit now," Natasha countered.

" _Now_ , maybe, but I don't think it's always been that way."

"That's the way it has to be. I need this to be a quiet place for me and mine," Natasha said, trying honesty for a change. "Daredevil keeps his streets clean and his problems small - it's a perfect place to hide - or it was in theory."

"So you admit you're in hiding. Anything else?" Jessica asked, admiring one of Steve's landscapes. Wakanda at dusk.

"I'm not offering any help or getting involved in this low level bullshit they've got going on out there," Natasha said.

Jessica nodded, accepting the dismissal for what it was. "Claire says you have moves and can take care of yourself so you must be hiding from something serious. You sure you don't want to talk about it?"

"If your friends can't handle what they have going on now, then there's really nothing to tell you," Natasha replied. "Are you done snooping yet?"

Jessica shrugged and motioned at a different painting. "The artist has got it pretty bad for you if the signature's anything to go by."

The tiny 'ILU's were hidden in place of signatures on all Steve's gifts and she suddenly wanted this stranger out of her space. She'd already seen more than Natasha intended to share.

"Okay," Jessica sighed, absently patting Porky on the head before turning back toward her. "Thanks for the heads-up on the magic stuff."

"Why is Daredevil banned from fighting ninjas?" Natasha asked even if she didn't need to know the answer.

"We don't know each other that well. But if you see a brunette with pointy fork swords and a cape, do us all a favor and give me the heads up before you tell DD," Jessica said.

Interesting. "I'll make a note of it." She was out of the game but she might be making some calls soon.

She walked the woman to the door and rewarded Porky for being a dog with a quick treat before doing a fresh walkthrough of the apartment. Hopefully this could be safe enough.

 

* * *

 

"You're a goddamn mess," she blurted out. It's not how she planned to greet him, but since he turned up with a full-on beard and dark hair swooped long below his ears she figured he earned it.

His eyes were still blue as sky when he leaned in for a chaste peck on the lips. "You're in the city. You have a dog."

Both things were true and she should tell him not to flatter himself thinking that those things were because of him.

"Am I forgiven?" he asked, taking a real kiss when she didn't answer immediately.

"Never," she replied, sliding her fingers into his belt loops and tugging him inside. "Do you have - "

"Traveling light these days, I didn't even bring my bike."

"Parking's a nightmare, you won't need it," she replied. Besides, she wasn't planning on letting him out of the apartment any time soon.


	3. Chapter 3

 

 

 

 

  
"Where are you going?" she called when she recognized the squeak of his new running shoes on the hardwood.

"Porky wants to go out," he called back. She glanced down at Porky mid-chew on Steve's old running shoes.

He stepped into the room with his stupid hand-knitted cap pulled down despite the heat. "Running," he retracted, guilty as he took in the sight of her working under the dog's supervision.

He had never been able to lie to her face so she accepted his answer. "Be back before dark."

"Of course. We're meeting your friends for drinks, right? I remember things," he said, kissing her and riling up Porky with cuddles before going for his second run of the day. He had to work off the superserum energy outside of the bedroom, too. She wasn't a machine and she appreciated the time outs.

Porky's tail was still wagging from the attention and he snuggled his cold nose into her knees for more of it. Porky was undeniably her dog, despite Steve's persistent attempts to convert him.

He was settling in and she felt herself settling down. They didn't have to be spies or soldiers to be useful - Porky seemed to like them anyway.

This wouldn't be forever, they both knew that. But until the Accords were reworked into something Steve could sign and something she could still defend - they were allowed the break.

They were going to kick ass at domestic life, she was going to make sure of it.  
  


* * *

  
"I like your friends already," Steve murmured in her ear, his arm around her possessively as they walked into the bar.

She snickered when she saw what had tripped his ' _friends yay_ ' trigger. A curved booth with several pitchers of beer already waiting was a low bar but enough for Steve's approval.

Trish was dressed down tonight in skinny jeans and sports jersey and Jessica seemed sober enough to pass for a 'friend', she figured.

"Okay, so I retroactively apologize for thinking you were lying about a boyfriend," Trish said, silently appreciating Steve with her eyes as they reached the booth.

"Trish, Jessica, this is Steve. He's Porky's probationary stepfather," Natasha introduced. Trish laughed at the joke but Jessica watched Natasha with sharp intent.

Jones was dangerous and it seemed she'd already seen through Steve's cover.

"Have a seat, we were starting off slow before we order the real drinks," Jessica said, sliding into the booth to encourage them to sit. Natasha hated being trapped but accepted the seat beside her with Steve on the outside simply because of his longer legs.

Steve picked up on Natasha's cues and focused his full attention on Trish and turned on his best 'brah' smile as he questioned her jersey and left her open to chat with Jessica.

"I get it now, your cover stories are legit," Jessica conceded under her breath. "I won't dig."

"He found a gym and a church that I haven't vetted yet," Natasha admitted, accepting her words when Steve was sufficiently distracted by Trish's chatter.

Jessica snorted. "I don't know if you two are lucky as fuck or cursed because I have connections to both those places and already have the scoop."

She glanced at her sharply. "Did someone recognize - "

Jessica waved off her concern. "Nah, I didn't put it together until I saw him. Luke's all giddy over having someone that can actually spot him when he's lifting weights and the priest postponed my friend's standing appointment for confession because your boo was there. Catholics are so weird."

"Confession's private, why would he - "

Jessica took a long swallow from her beer. "My friend has good hearing and the priest takes privacy very seriously so he banned him from the perimeter."

Daredevil was a Catholic?  The fuck was she supposed to do with that?

"Point is, his instincts didn't point him wrong. How the hell are you going to keep a leash on him when he's all friendly and shit?" Jessica hissed.

Natasha glanced over and immediately caught Steve's attention. "Stop being nice, you're going to blow your cover."

"Sure," Steve smiled with a wink and turned back to charming Trish.

Jessica snorted but caught her point. "It's like that?"

"Yeah. He's an asshole, sure, but only after you get to know him," Natasha replied.  
  


* * *

  
"Are you sure Porky needed to go out?" Natasha asked Steve, not looking down at the leashed pup to distract Steve from his neck nuzzles.

"He glanced at the door a few times. And maybe I wanted to take my girl on a walk in the moonlight, too," he admitted.

"You could have just asked instead of forcing our dog into exercise," she smiled.

Porky barked suddenly but it wasn't his normal ' _want to go inside for nap_ ' bark and she and Steve both glanced down in surprise.

"Shit, it's you. Uh, hi," the nurse greeted them from the corner of the park. "Look, a nice bench for the tired puppy and couple. Hi," she motioned to a nearby bench.

The sound of punches and grunts of fisticuffs from the shadows beyond clued Natasha in to her pathetic diversion tactic.

"Are you okay, Miss?" Steve asked, scooping Porky into his arms.

"She's fine," Natasha said. "Let's head back, babe."

Steve hesitated. "I think that's Luke, from the gym. And Colleen, the lady that teaches that class you said I couldn't take at the dojo."

"Low stress environment fail," the nurse apologized to Natasha with a strangely sympathetic look. "I'm Claire, and they're fine. It's totally nothing to worry about."

"Thanks, Claire," Natasha nodded, turning to Steve with a serious expression.

"Right, nothing to worry about. I'll get Porky to bed. So you can walk her home or borrow one of those katanas over there. Nice to meet you, Claire," Steve said with a nod, kissing Natasha and jogging back toward the apartment.

"You really don't have to get involved," Claire said after Steve was out of sight. "It's just a patrol thing, Danny resolved the other problem."

"Ninjas," Natasha pointed at the battle several yards away.

"To be fair, we're blocks from your building," Claire said.

Natasha's distracted by Colleen's graceful style and the easy way she fought with Danny at her back. "They're good. Luke seems like a brawler, no wonder Steve can't stop talking about him," she noted.

"Your friend makes an impression to be sure, Luke and Trish won't stop talking about him either," Claire admitted.

"He really wants to come out and play but he really needs to stay off the street," Natasha said. A ninja limped out of the fray and she slid past Claire to disarm him and take his sword for herself.

"He can still make friends and stay off the grid," the nurse called after her.

She needed to figure out for herself if that was possible before she turned him loose to learn more karate.

But she'd much prefer him to bond with these guys than Wade Fucking Wilson.  
  


* * *

  
She was reluctantly relieved when Jessica turned up at Steve's dinner party the following week. He was going all-in on domesticity and she let him text out the invitations without prior approval.

She liked the woman, crassness and all and considered her a safer bet for a female confidant than Trish's poised perfection.

"Are you hiding him from the Accords or from his undead friend?" Jessica asked quietly.

"He doesn't know what it's like to have someone else behind the wheel," Natasha replied when she saw Jessica studying the newer, darker paintings. Jessica snapped her full attention to her. "I can't blame his friend for pushing him away to keep him safe. He deserves to be safe."

"His friend killed a lot of people," Jessica said.

"So have I. But when I have control over my own mind, I'd like to think that I'm better than that," she replied coolly. "Barnes isn't a threat to him now."

Steve sensed her shift across the room but she settled him with a flip of hair and he returned his full attention to Danny Rand. She foresaw a lot of dragon paintings in their future.

"I get that," Jessica said. "There's a lot of politics involved in your shit, I'm pretty sure you've got enough on your plate."

"We have a dog and an apartment on our plate, that's all."

Jessica nodded. "We'll watch your back and let you know of anything Accords-related on the radar. DD will have to keep his playdates with the Spiderkid out of the Kitchen."

She winced. "Damn, you guys know Peter? That's way too close to Stark for our comfort zone."

Jessica winced. "We didn't know his name, but yeah."

"Going public will tear that kid's life wide open," Natasha sighed. "Make sure the devil teaches him that lesson."

Danny appeared with a polite nod at her, avoiding Jessica's glare. "Um. I'm supposed to ask if your boytoy can spar with me if I promise not to ask any questions or get him into any fights."

"My boytoy," Natasha repeated. She glanced over his shoulder and spotted Colleen and Claire snickering behind Steve who had his face buried in his elbow. "Have you handled your ninja witch problem?"

"Yes. Thanks for your help," Danny flushed.

"Luke will figure it out before Fisty here," Jessica said.

"Nobody's figuring anything out. Secret identities are important," Danny said, completely earnest. "And you promised you'd stop calling me that."

"I want to fight winner. I have to make sure my boytoy hasn't learned any new tricks without me," Natasha decided, winning a bright grin from Steve as an appetizer.

"I can't wait to best you both," Danny challenged.

"Oh no," Luke chuckled across the room. At least he had some common sense about how this night would end.  
  


* * *

  
* ** _DD wants to have a meet and greet. Against my advice. He'll be at your bar on Wed if you're down._** *

Natasha wasn't 'down' but she was curious from the texted invitation. She figured if Jessica knew who she and Steve were and was banging the Devil in her spare time that she should suck it up and meet him.

She didn't turn her head when she heard the tap of the cane. Murdock was a constant sight around Hell's Kitchen, the golden hometown son that made good with a law degree and deep roots in the city. But when he stopped at the stool beside her, she definitely looked up.

"My ex-girlfriend is an undead ninja assassin," Murdock said as a greeting. The bartender put a napkin and beer down for him without instruction. "Her status is unknown and the last time I saw her, I let her go instead of killing her."

Daredevil was a blind lawyer. She didn't show her surprise but she had a feeling the bastard knew he got her. "Killing's never been your gig, has it?"

"She was already dead. Still dead. It's - complicated and I'm - I've always been solo and I, sort of, have a team now."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Murdock took several long swallows off his beer before finding his words. "My choices are coming back to bite me on the ass. Elektra, and maybe soon...Wilson Fisk. Too many people know my name and my face that it's only a matter of time before hell rains down on us all."

"You were banging The Black Sky?  Shit, man," Natasha whistled. She knew Natchios' reputation and her dark side was a fan. She didn't want to let on how much she knew about Wilson Fisk so she took the easiest diversion. "That takes balls."

"You sound like a frat boy, is that your 'boytoy's influence?" Matt snickered.

"He doesn't know shit about mysticism or assassins, it's not a flaw," Natasha replied. "He doesn't need to know about any of that."

Matt sighed. "I was hoping you might have some advice for me in terms of damage control."

She studied him, processing what she'd learned about the misfit crimefighting team in person, minus the devil. "You were solo. Who knows your whole story?"

"My priest, maybe, in the vaguest of terms. I don't think Elektra will turn up again but..."

"She didn't kill you, she'll be back," Natasha stated firmly. "But she's not leaking your identity and that needs to be your top priority right now." A blind ninja wouldn't be able to disappear into a new identity as easily as buying a wig or growing a beard.

"It'll burn down everyone I care about if it goes public," Matt said.

"Then you have to get ahead of it. Killing Fisk won't solve the bigger problem - your identity isn't secure."

Matt waved for another set of drinks.

"You have a team now, right?  Jones is pretty sharp, Cage probably has some contacts inside and Rand's got the funds to pay for falsified documents if necessary. They already know who you are and they probably have a vested interest in keeping your name off the internet," she suggested. "And if that doesn't work, just let your ex know which bad man wants to kill you and I have a feeling she'll take care of it."

"What do you know about the Black Sky?" he asked with a faint devil growl.  God, she would never have figured it out.

She swiped at the condensation on her glass. "I know what it's like to be raised for the sole purpose of being a weapon. To be taught love is a weakness and loyalty and obedience as the only true path. If The Hand was finally successful in creating The Black Sky, then I'm glad she loved you enough to carry that into hell with her." She snorted. "You may not hear her heartbeat but I guarantee, she's keeping track of yours."

"I can't help her anymore," Matt whispered.

"At least you've accepted it. Look how long it took me to get Steve to back off Barnes, but sometimes recovering assassins need their personal space," Natasha muttered.

Murdock went still and she realized that he hadn't figured out Steve's identity even if he knew hers. "No wonder my priest keeps suggesting I make friends with him," he huffed finally.

"No thank you," Natasha frowned. "He's got enough of a hard-on about Daredevil without knowing who's under the mask. It's your fault he knows the word 'parkour' in the first damn place." She narrowed her eyes at him when he seemed close to preening. "That's not a compliment, asshole."

"Sorry," he replied with a slip of a smirk.

She sighed. "He's a mess, you know? He ripped his life and his legacy apart to save a friend that barely remembers him. Seems like you're well on your way to doing the same thing so I'll give you the same advice. Get your own shit together before you start worrying about other people's."

Murdock clinked their bottles together and she silently prepared herself for Steve to fanboy the hell out when she told him she met Daredevil.  
  


* * *

  
"Heckler & Koch HK416," Steve said, his soft words waking her from a nice dream of warm toes and soft fingers in her hair. That part wasn't a dream with Porky snoring on her feet and Steve's arm around her shoulders on their couch.

"What?" Claire's voice was unexpected until she remembered 'Netflix binge night', a totally normal domestic ritual they were trying out. If it resulted in unintended naps, she might have to make it a priority. Tonight, Danny and Colleen were on patrol so their backup teams were free to watch mediocre sci-fi instead of catching up on 90's teen soaps per Danny's regimented catch-up list.

"Someone's laying down a lot of cover fire," Steve said, shifting uncomfortably.

Murdock's phone went off sharply with a ' _Karen. Karen. Karen_ ,' and even Porky perked up at full attention.

"Castle," he muttered and Jessica and Claire both glared at him as he hurried out of the room with the phone. Natasha was so off her game.

"The Punisher?" Steve questioned and everyone swiveled to look at him. "What?  Wade was a fan," he whispered to Natasha alone.

"Aren't we trying to get Matt's name away from all nefarious past associations?" Claire hissed at Jessica. Daredevil had taken her advice to heart even before he'd become Steve's parkour and midnight mass buddy.

"What do you expect me to do about it? He's always going to help Karen even if she has shitty taste in men," Jessica shrugged.

"Karen's dating Frank Castle?" Luke asked, yawning. She felt his total lack of understanding at the conversation.

"It's not dating, she just wants to help him," Steve protested. "He must not be all bad if she sees something worth saving, right?"

Jessica threw up her hands at Steve's words as Claire burst into laughter.

Matt cleared his throat as he made his way back into the room. "There's a situation down at the docks that I've been advised is none of our business."

"Karen's okay?" Steve asked, not settling until he nodded. Natasha wondered if she needed to put an embargo on how much time the two men were spending together.

"That's apparently none of my business, too, but yes," Matt said, retaking his seat beside Jessica on the carpet with an apologetic kiss to her cheek. "She's not involved in the Punisher's mess and would like us to be uninvolved as well."

"Wade's going to be so disappointed," Steve sighed under his breath.

She pinched his thigh. "Are you still talking to him?" she hissed. "He's going to fuck us both over if he's still on your speed dial."

"He must not be all bad if Steve likes him," Luke said, earning another burst of giggles from Claire.

"It's email and that's totally allowed in the rules," Steve said, kissing her playfully until Porky barked in disapproval at the PDA.

"Good boy," Natasha said, including Steve and Porky in her praise but only rewarding one of them with a biscuit.

**Author's Note:**

> Lyric tag from Tool.


End file.
